6 Marlborough Road & 397 North Circular Road, Dublin

 

The raid was to have been carried out by the 1st Battalion. This operation did not come off as the target, a Lt-Col, had left the house the day before and there was no target living there on the morning of Bloody Sunday.

Patrick Lawson at the time he was a member of F Company, 1 Battalion, Dublin Brigade and his Company Commander was Paddy Holohan. He did not join 'The Squad' until March 1921. His witness statement says 'On the night before Bloody Sunday, 21st November, 1920 Paddy Holohan, our Coy O/C. instructed us to present the following morning at 41 Parnell Square at ten minutes past eight. He told us that we were to carry our guns. Six of us were detailed and reported next morning at the appointed time. Paddy Holohan arrived and told us to go home as the job had been called off. The only information he gave me was that we were to have gone to some house in Phibsboro'. He just mentioned this in a casual conversation afterwards when the results of Bloody Sunday were known.'

Dalton made no allowance for those who had never been asked to kill or see killing like this before. He complained that ‘ in some instances the excuses put forward for the non-carrying out of instructions were not considered very satisfactory ; in particular, those received from the Commandant of the 1st Battalion regarding two addresses they should have visited on the North Circular Road, adjacent to Pheonix Park

According to material on Peadar Joseph McNulty’s file, McNulty was Officer in Charge of two units who were to attack unnamed targets at 6 Marlborough Road and 397 North Circular Road. McNulty claims that he had 12 men with him for these attacks which were both called off. Hubert Murphy stated that Thomas Ryan, who was killed at Croke Park later that day, was with him (Murphy) and due to take part in this operation. 

 

 

 

Addresses Raided by the IRA